Friendship & Connection
1. Need for Friendship
Genesis 2:18b NIV
“It is not good for the man to be alone."
Ecclesiastes 4:12a MSG
By yourself you’re unprotected. With a friend you can face the worst.
2. Built-in Best Friend
1 Peter 5:7 AMP
casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully].
3. Jesus - Our Role Model for Friendship
Ephesians 5:1-2 MSG
Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that.
A Friend Who is Friendly
A Friend Who is Unselfish
Philippians 2:3-5b MSG
Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand. Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself.
Philippians 2:8b MSG
He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion.
5. Wise with Influences
Proverbs 12:26a NIV
The righteous choose their friends carefully...
Proverbs 13:20 ESV
Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.
